116 LITTLE GARDENS 
Canterbury Bells.—These are favourite border flowers with 
large bell-like blooms in pink, white, purple, and other shades. 
Seed is sown in a frame or out of doors on a sheltered border in 
April. In September the seedling plants are finally put in the posi- 
tions where they are to bloom after being properly transplanted and 
grown on during the summer. Some of them may be potted up in 
the autumn and kept in a cold frame throughout winter. They 
are most welcome in the greenhouse, coming into bloom some time 
before those out of doors. : 
Chrysanthemums, Early Flowering.—Early flowering or 
border Chrysanthemums are those that make the garden so gay in 
September and October, when most other hardy plants are past their 
best. Then they are most valuable, they bloom profusely, and are 
indispensable for cutting. To start a collection, a few plants should 
be bought in May and planted out. They are not fastidious as to 
soil, but bloom best in an open situation. To increase one’s stock 
cuttings are taken in March; they root quickly in pots of sandy 
soil in a frame, and make nice little plants for putting out in late 
May. The old plants may be divided in spring and the divisions 
will soon re-establish themselves. Varieties : Crimson Marie Masse, 
crimson and bronze ; Blushing Bride, rose; Golden Queen of the 
Earlies, deep golden yellow; Mytchett White, pure white; O. J 
Quintus, lilac pink. 
Delphinium or Larkspur.—The perennial Larkspurs or Del- 
phiniums are noble hardy plants, and no flower border can be 
worthy of the name that does not contain them. They grow readily 
in any well dug soil that is enriched with top dressings of farmyard 
manure from time to time. They soon form magnificent clumps; 
these are best divided about every four years, otherwise the centre 
of the clump, consisting of the oldest growths, gets bare and 
unsightly. When the clumps are broken up in the autumn the 
central part is thrown away, only the outside pieces, the youngest 
growths, being replanted. During hot summer weather Delphiniums 
need copious supplies of water when they are well established ; if 
the soil is allowed to become dry growth is stunted and flower spikes 
are puny. Good varieties are King of Delphiniums, Prince of 
Naples, Majestic, Sir Trevor Lawrence, and Mark Twain. Annual 
Larkspurs are charming plants and easily grown. The rose 
coloured Stock tlowered Larkspur is the finest of all, I think, and 
from seed sown outdoors in March the resulting plants will begin to 
bloom in July and continue in beauty for weeks together ; they 
roduce a long succession of flowers. As soon as the main stem has 
nished blossoming the side growths take up the running. 
Gladiolus.—A handsome bulbous plant, the sorts that bloom in 
late summer being the most generally useful. There is no greater 
favourite than the scarlet Gladiolus Gandavensis, although the many 
beautiful new crossbred forms lately introduced have eclipsed it 
somewhat. The bulbs are planted in March, preferably in clumps 
of six or eight or twelve, in well drained soil and in a fairly open 
